Police in Rivers Shoot Two Suspected Cult leaders.
A wanted cult leader named Silas Oderereke and his accomplice were slain following a shooting at the Oderereke hamlet in the state’s Ahoada West Local Government Area, according to the Rivers State Police Command.
Oderereke, also referred to as “General,” is the head of the Greenlander cult group in the Ubie tribe of Ahoada West, according to the command. He has been evading capture for the previous four years.
In a statement released in Port Harcourt on Sunday, Grace Iringe-Koko, a spokeswoman for the state police command, confirmed the two cultists’ deaths.
According to Iringe Koko,the infamous cult leader and his group engaged in violent attacks on anyone who dared to disagree with them, armed robberies, land grabbing, and unauthorised construction sales.
“On January 11, 2024, the police received information about Oderereke’s gang’s robbery operation, which also involved vandalising the property of the late monarch, Eze Robinson O. Robinson,” the statement reads, describing how the miscreant was shot to death.
The police pursued the perpetrators out of town after acting quickly. But the rebellious “General” rallied his group and attacked an Oderereke community-owned tank farm with the intention of robbing it of its valuables.
There was gunfire between Silas Oderereke and another member of his group and the police squad.
Oderereke and his accomplice were neutralised during the shootout, but other people were hurt.
“The police were able to capture the gang during this attempt at sabotage.
“Danger-boy and 2-Man, two other clan leaders who frequently worked with Oderereke, were able to escape and are still on the loose.
“The police found a G3 rifle and 19 7.62x51mm rounds when they searched the gang’s hideout.”
“Further investigations uncovered a camp Oderereke had established between Oderereke and Olokuma communities,” the state police image maker continued.
The cult leader and his large following used this camp as a base from which to conduct robberies on defenceless residents of nearby settlements.
“The affected communities shared stories of residents who had moved to Port Harcourt due to the mayhem caused by the cult group and expressed their relief.”
Olatunji Disu, the state commissioner of police, praised the agents for their covert investigation and for taking down the thugs.
Cultists and other criminal gangs were forewarned by CP Disu to change their ways or prepare to face the authorities, claiming that the state would become intolerable for them under his leadership until they were smoked out.